This is It!

It’s amazing how simple life really is…and how complicated we can make it! I don’t have much coming in these days in the form of funds and have generally been ok with that…happy to just BE and see what doors open up or which way the universe directs me to move. Recently though, I have been feeling a little antsy, and maybe a bit nervous about the future and all kinds of thoughts have crept into my head about where to live, how to generate funds, whether or not to take a job, etc. etc. etc. I’ve noticed myself feeling restless and out of balance, caught up in indecision and starting to stress over all these earth-shaking matters hanging over me waiting to be dealt with! I have a set of oracle cards called “Healing with the Fairies” given to me by a close friend and it’s fun to shuffle them and pull one occasionally to see what “message” the fairies might have for me that day. Amazingly, they are often very apt! This morning, my mind still restless, I pulled one, thinking the universe might have a really life-changing message for me. What I got was, “Body Movement”…which reminds me that my body has its own life force and intelligence and that I should listen to it as it wants to express itself through movement of some kind. Well…ok. I haven’t really done much in the way of physical activity the past few days as I’ve spent so much time thinking about “bigger matters”, so I listened to my body and went running and swimming…and it felt great! My bank account isn’t any fuller, but my body is very happy and I am in much better condition to deal with the “big” issues.

More importantly though, I was reminded (again) that there is only one important decision for us to make; to be present in this moment! Then it is helpful to make that decision over and over until presence is (once again) our natural state of being. One of my closest friends and I used to say to each other in all kinds of situations…whether we were blissful or in misery or somewhere in between…”This is it!” It was a reminder that this moment is all we ever really have, and that it is wise to welcome it, whatever form it comes in, and be present with it/in it.

What that means to me is that we do best when we are mindful…always; when we pay attention to the little things that are often lost or overlooked because we’re so caught up in our minds thinking about past experiences or future moments, neither of which we can do anything about since they don’t exist except as thoughts. We’ve all heard that every journey begins with a single step and that even the greatest of projects starts out with a single idea, but we forget that a successful life is made up of many small, very simple tasks and decisions. When we focus on the moment and remember to deal regularly with all the basic issues…like drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, exercising, spending some quiet time alone every day and keeping everything in our lives in balance…the complicated issues we commonly stress over just seem to fade away. Practical issues still need to be dealt with at some point, but we realize (when we let go and stop stressing over them) that they aren’t nearly as complicated as we tend to make them…and they often resolve themselves without any effort or stress on our part! If you feel overwhelmed by all the small matters that need to be dealt with, make lists until you get things under control…and then let them go! If your physical space is cluttered, your mind probably is as well. Straighten things up and notice how much better you feel. As my friend always brightly states, “Organization is the key to success!” If you are feeling stressed or depressed, try focusing on this moment and take a few small steps to bring order back to your personal space and to your life. Treat yourself to a healthy meal, take a quiet walk in nature, drink a few glasses of water or go to bed early and notice how your outlook changes. Make those things habits, take care of yourself instead of indulging yourself and notice how your life changes! This is it! Quiet your mind and enjoy the moment!